She added: "Hotpoint said they'll take it away to investigate it, but we can't live there now.

"Our entire kitchen is burnt. It'll be months before we can live there again.

"If you sit on the sofa, smoke comes out of it."

A spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue said: "Firefighters were called to a dishwasher on fire in a end of terrace house.

"On arrival, crews reported the house was heavily smoke logged.

"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire."

A spokesman for Hotspoint said: “Safety is our number one priority and we investigate all reported incidents thoroughly as soon as we are made aware of them. As investigations are currently ongoing, you will appreciate we are unable to comment further.”